Eternity's Passing
by Rydia Asuka
Summary: Souji falls in battle, the team must decide what to do without their leader while dealing with his death, because some things are too important to give up on. Spoilers for November! Souji/Yosuke
1. Death

**Eternity's Passing**

"S-Souji! _Look out_!" Yosuke Hanamura cried out, dashing forward in a panic. He had to get there in time to take the blow, he _had _to...!

His efforts were for naught, however. Souji turned in time to see the Angry Table, but not to block or deflect its attack. With a grunt of pain, the grey-haired teen fell to the floor, blood gushing from a new cut across his face, down his neck, and across part of his chest.

It was barely a second later that Yosuke collapsed to his knees at Souji's side. Laying one hand gently on the other teen's face, the brunet turned his face slightly, trying to get a better look at the injury. Gasping with shock at the sight that met his honey-brown eyes, Yosuke recoiled slightly. His partner, their _leader_, had just lost an eye.

"Y-Yukiko-san! Hurry, you have to heal him!"

"Amaterasu!" cried the black-haired girl, spinning her fan to snap the tarot card in half.

The soft glow of healing surrounded the entire party as Naoto finally finished off the last shadow. Hurrying over, the blue-haired girl knelt alongside her other two companions.

"Is Senpai okay?"

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Yosuke shook his head. "D-dammit...no! Yukiko...try Samarecarm! Oh my g-you have to help him! Souji, wake up, dammit!"

As Yukiko tried her next healing spell, Yosuke patted Souji's cheek frantically, calling for his friend to wake up.

Three spells later, a panting Yukiko shook her head, tears creeping into her eyes. "I-it's no good...I can't heal him..."

"D-don't say that, Yukiko-san...you can't be...try again!"

As the two were talking, Naoto moved in closer to Souji. Pressing her fingers to his bloody neck, she felt for a moment before gasping and jerking her hand back.

"S-senpai..."

"What is it, Naoto-kun?" asked Yukiko, clearly shaken as more tears of fear and frustration threatened to leak from her eyes.

"Souji-senpai...he...he has no pulse..." Naoto muttered softly, her calm composure badly shaken.

"W-what? No way!" Yosuke cried. Grabbing Souji's wrist, he tried to feel for a pulse, only to be rewarded with...nothing. "D-dammit, Souji, wake up!" Wrapping his arms around his best friend—his _boy_friend—Yosuke held him tight. "Y-you...have to wake up..."

"What's going on over there, guys? Senpai's down...why haven't you helped him yet?"

Yosuke barely noticed as Naoto got up and made her way back slightly further back down the hall to where Rise was with Teddie, Kanji, and Chie protecting her. He barely even registered the shocked gasp, followed by feet pounding up and surrounding him. He simply clung to Souji's limp form, quietly murmuring for him to just please _wake up_.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually he registered that someone was rubbing him gently on the back—had he been crying? He wasn't sure.

"Yosuke, we should get out of here..."

Turning to face Chie, Yosuke shook his head. "Nanako-chan...we can't leave her."

"We've all agreed that saving her is...going to have to wait until another day, Yosuke," Chie explained to him, her own voice hoarse from sobbing. "Right now...Yosuke, he's dead. W-we need to take care of Souji."

Clutching Souji to him, Yosuke rose in a daze, oblivious to Naoto pulling out a Goho-M and warping them from this hell-hole. What would they tell Nanako when they finally rescued her? That her beloved big brother had died trying to save her? And Doujima...he would surely be livid when he found out. Where could they take Souji, anyway? It wasn't like they could just walk into Junes with him, or...

"Yosuke...Yosuke!"

Yosuke was snapped from his thoughts by Chie yelling to him. Turning to her, he blinked slowly in acknowledgement.

"Oh gosh, Yosuke...look, let Kanji carry him. Y-you're a mess..."

It was only then that Yosuke realised how tightly he was gripping the still form of his best friend. Clinging to him like somehow it would be real if he ever let go, but as long as he held Souji, it would all just be a horrible nightmare.

"No..." he heard himself mumble, as if from a distance. "I want to carry him..." 'Because this is my fault,' he added to himself, 'I failed him.' He should have gotten there faster. If he had just moved _faster_, then...then Souji wouldn't be...

Unable to bring himself to even think it, Yosuke glanced around the entry hall, where the whole party now stood, clearly uncertain as to what to do.

"D-dammit!" Kanji yelled, stomping his foot in agonised frustration. Yukiko and Rise had begun crying again, Chie doing her best not to break down again also while comforting her friends. Although, it was obvious Chie would not be able to hold out long herself. Teddie remained silent, although his suit seemed to just have...deflated.

And then there was Naoto. The short girl's calm facade was clearly broken, but she managed to hold it enough to support the team.

"H-how...are we gonna explain this one?" Rise asked, tears flowing from her eyes.

Covering her face with one hand, effectively hiding her eyes, Naoto shook her head. "We're...not going to have to."

"How? How is that possible?" asked Yukiko, her voice wavering noticeably.

"We...we can't take him back."

Yosuke said nothing. He had already reached the same conclusion earlier, as his mind was frantically trying to work everything out. Junes...was no place for a body. Not even Souji's.

"What? How can you say that?! S-senpai, h-he...we can't leave him here!" Kanji yelled, eyes narrowed in a mixture of anger and pain.

"But we have to," Yosuke stated quietly. "We have to leave him here...to re-enter our world during the next fog..." Yosuke was amazed at how calm and controlled his voice was—he was sure it was just the initial shock—but he carried on resolutely. "I don't want to anymore than the rest of you...but what choice do we have?"

Slowly but surely, the others began to nod their agreement. They did not want to do it—none of them did—but they realised that it had to be done. They really had no other choice.

Setting Souji down carefully, Yosuke motioned for the others to start filing out. Of course, when they returned to rescue Nanako they would have to see him, cold and still, every time they came here. It would be like going through hell. Once the final person had departed through the television, Yosuke bent down and planted a gentle kiss to Souji's brow.

"I...I love you, man. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you that before." Righting himself, the brunet teen ran for the exit, diving through it without looking back. Sure, they would likely be back the next day—Nanako could _not_ wait—but for now, Yosuke knew he needed to go home and sob until he died of dehydration.

When Yosuke emerged in Junes, he was unsurprised to see the others already dispersing. Pulling off his blazer to hide the blood staining it, Yosuke did the same. Heading straight home to collapse on his futon and sob all night long. Tomorrow would be another day, but for now he knew he had failed worse than he ever had before.

"Souji..."

* * *

_Yes, yet **another **kink meme fill for me. And this one angsty. I hope I got the emotion right, that's all I can say. Feedback would be wonderful. Hope you enjoyed it!_


	2. Lost

"Thanks for staying with me tonight, Yosuke."

Yosuke smiled weakly, reaching over to gently stroke back his partner's sweat-soaked hair. "Don't mention it, Partner," he whispered gently. "I don't blame you for not wanting to be alone tonight." Yosuke smiled wryly. "Besides, the sex wasn't too bad either."

His joke brought a weak smile Souji's face. "Still, thanks. I appreciate it."

Snuggling into Souji's bare chest, Yosuke draped his arms around the grey-haired teen's torso. "Don't worry about it...I wouldn't leave you alone tonight.

"We'll get her back, Souji. Tomorrow. We can do it."

Souji's strong arms found their way around Yosuke, pulling the brunet into his chest. "Y-yeah...tomorrow. We'll get her back tomorrow...

"Oh, gosh, Yosuke, she's just a kid! How could someone do that to a little girl?! She's just a kid!"

Gripping his boyfriend more tightly, Yosuke sighed. "I-I...I don't know, Souji," he mumbled. His boyfriend was dangerously close to tears, which was highly unusual for the teen. Rubbing Souji's bare back, the brunet murmured quiet reassurances in an effort to calm him.

"We can do it, Souji. We've gotten everyone out alive so far."

"I know...it's just...this time it's _Nanako_."

"We can do it."

Yosuke was not really surprised when he suddenly found Souji looming over him, kissing him hard. It was fairly obvious to him that Souji needed release, and Yosuke was willing to do whatever it took to give him that.

"Please...don't even leave me," murmured the grey-haired teen, pulling back just long enough to mutter those few words before returning his lips to the brunet's.

Yosuke nodded weakly in assurance. "I-I won't. And don't you ever leave me either, Partner."

"I'll be with you, Yosuke. Always. I love you," Souji murmured before kissing him again, hard. This time clearly with no intent on talking further.

While the confession had shocked Yosuke, it hadn't really surprised him. At that time, however, he was too preoccupied to really reply and tell Souji that he felt exactly the same way. Well, it wasn't like it was vital to talk right then. They could talk about it later.

After they got Nanako safely home.

* * *

Yosuke awoke with a start, shooting up in bed with sweat glistening on his pale skin. Hugging his knees to his chest, the brunet shook his head, fresh tears already welling up in his honey-brown eyes. How...how could that have only been _last night_?! He could never have guessed that Souji would...would be _dead_ twenty-four hours later!

Sobbing silently into his legs, Yosuke called out to his dead boyfriend, shoulders shaking violently, "S-Souji...I'm s-sorry...I'm sorry I never told y-you. I love you, t-too." His cries were muffled by his legs, but he could still hear himself clearly in the silence of the room. "D-dammit...I'm _so_ sorry..."

Yosuke was not sure how long he remained like that, sometimes crying, sometimes sobbing silently, and occasionally just thinking. He only became aware of the passage of time when his father knocked on the door, alerting him that it was time to get up for school.

When he did not respond, the older man poked his head inside. "Yosuke? Are you okay, son?"

Wearily, the teen in question shook his head, finally croaking out hoarsely, "n-no...I'm not feeling that well. Must've...caught a bug, or something."

Yosuke could just _feel_ his father's frown on him as the man slowly said, "okay...I'll call you off from classes. You'll be on your own today, so try to get some rest.

The brunet just nodded in response.

For Yosuke, the remainder of the day passed in blur through to the afternoon. All he really could have said about it, had he been asked, was that he had cried a lot, and thought even more. He thought about a lot of things: how he had failed Souji, how if he did not rescue Nanako as soon as possible he would just set that failure in diamond, how much he would always regret never saying those three words...and about how life without Souji seemed so...so _meaningless_. He also thought about how, even at the end, Souji had not uttered a scream. Always the strong one, their leader.

He had no real realisation of the passing of time, however he knew it must have been hours later when his cell phone rang. It was Chie demanding to know where he was. Of course. They were supposed to go to the T.V. world. Where Souji was...

Reassuring her that he'd be right there, Yosuke left the house at a run. Nanako. He had to save Nanako.

For Souji.

* * *

The others were waiting for him, already by the television. Nodding to them, he motioned reluctantly to the large screen. "S-should we go?"

"Not yet, Yosuke-senpai."

Turning to Naoto, the brunet teen frowned. "Why not?"

"We were all talking before you got, and we decided that you should lead us."

Yosuke froze, eyes moving slowly from face to face. "M-me...? Why, why not you, Naoto?" To him, she seemed the most logical choice, being both capable and smart.

Naoto just shook her head. "We all agreed that this is what Senpai would have wanted."

Glancing once again between his friends, Yosuke finally nodded slowly. "I-if you all think so..."

"We do, Yosuke. You can do this."

As the others slowly added their assurances to Chie's, Yosuke nodded firmly. "Then let's go get Nanako-chan out of there."

Once inside the television world, there was a definite refusal to look at the far, left corner of the room, across from where the fox sat. Refusal from all but Yosuke.

Steeling every last inch of courage he had in him, the newly-appointed leader walked over while the others were gathering their equipment from behind the exit. Kneeling down, he bowed his head before speaking, "We're going, Partner..." he muttered, fighting back more tears. "We'll bring her home today. I swear it."

Climbing back to his feet, Yosuke glanced over Souji's body. He was almost thankful for the gash splitting open the teen's face and chest, and the blood staining his uniform and most of his torso. Not to mention more blood streaking that beautiful, soft, silver hair and causing it to clump together; hair that Yosuke had so loved to run his fingers through.—despite the awful bowl cut. Without those things, Souji might just look like he was sleeping; but he was not sleeping, and Yosuke was not sure he could handle Souji looking like he was. At least this way the teen looked _dead_. It made things easier, in a morbid sort of way. Turning of his heel, Yosuke rejoined his friends—his _living_ friends—and quickly began yanking on his own armour in an effort to hide the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Why...why did this have to be so damn _hard_?

Finally grabbing his daggers, Yosuke took one in either hand, glancing to each of his friends. They looked worn, tired, scared, devastated...but above all else they looked determined. Determined to rescue Nanako. Determined to finish what they had started. To find the truth. Yosuke liked that about them. No matter what obstacle befell them, they were always ready to get back up and fight on. Sure, there were bound to be more tears, and many a long, hard day until the fateful day the fog set in, and more after even that. Then the recovery would begin. At least for them. Yosuke was far from certain if he would ever be able to recover...or even if it was really worth it.

For now, though, they would fight on. All of them. As a team.

"Let's go, guys. Rise, can you lead the way?"

And so they were off. To finish what Souji could not.

They _would_ rescue Nanako.

* * *

_Reviewers, you have my love. I honestly feel like a terrible person for writing this fic. And it's only going to get worse...Q.Q _


	3. Shattered

Yosuke led the team further and further into the dungeon whilst silently vowing to himself that if he ever encountered another 'Angry Table' enemy he would tear it limb from limb. The one that had killed Souji had been the first they had ever fought, but Yosuke vowed to rip the next apart, no matter how strong it was.

As they ascended yet another set of stairs, Yosuke steeled himself as his foot hit the platform of the fifth floor. Here, on this floor, Souji had fought—and lost—his final battle. Taking a deep breath, Yosuke stepped forward, the others falling into formation behind him. Behind _him_. Not Souji. Him.

"Let's go," he ordered from between tightly-clenched teeth. They would save Nanako. They would. Gripping his daggers tightly, he led them off at a fast jog, keeping both eyes open for shadows. Especially those Tables. He would _destroy_ them!

They made good time, only running into two fights before turning a corner into a new corridor. The same one where Souji had died. The bloodstains...they were still there. He could see them staining the floor not forty feet in front of him. However, the next sight his eyes took in made the brunet positively howl with rage. There, waltzing its way away from them, was an Angry Table.

With an enraged cry, Yosuke dashed forward, daggers brandished in front of him. Here, now, he would settle this as best he could.

Ignoring the others to take care of the two other shadows in the vicinity, Yosuke put his full focus on the shadow before him. He was going to mutilate it.

"Come, Susano-O!" he cried, flipping in the air to shatter the tarot card with one dagger. As the colourful persona emerged, lashing out with a devastating Garudyne spell, part of the brunet was horrified. How, how had he failed so...so _badly_?!

It was weak to wind.

Stepping back with a strangled cry, Yosuke felt something crack beneath his foot. Immediately yanking his foot off of it, the teen's breath caught in his throat at the sight of what he had just stepped on. Souji's glasses.

"Destroy it, Susano-O!" he cried, tears already pooling in his eyes.

Not bothering to stop and watch the monster dissolve away, Yosuke fell to his knees, scooping up Souji's mutilated, bloodstained glasses as he did so. Looking at them, it was easy to see that he had not been the cause of all of the damage. When Souji had been attacked it was clear they had been cloven in half at that moment. Still, he had managed to crack the frames and lenses more badly then falling to the floor would have done. Not that it really mattered. They had been destroyed long before he stepped on them...

"Yosuke-senpai?"

Glancing up, Yosuke smiled weakly at Naoto. "Sorry...I just..." he mumbled, finally holding out Souji's glasses by way of answer.

Frowning, the younger girl nodded. "Take them. They don't belong here."

Agreeing, Yosuke slipped the frames into his pack as the others rejoined them, ready to move on again.

Once they had set out again, Yosuke allowed himself a moment to berate himself for not being able to realise the shadow's weakness to wind the day before. He had seen Souji struggling with it, when even his physical attacks bounced back at him! It was not right. If he had only reacted faster, or even just given Souji a hand! All it would have taken was _one_ Garudyne. He was certain of it.

How, how could he have failed so badly?! He had to save Nanako. He had to. If he could not even do that, then there was no way he could ever face Souji again.

"Let's go get Nanako-chan back, guys," he grit out as the approached another staircase.

As he led the group up the next staircase, Yosuke was oblivious to the uneasy looks his friends exchanged behind his back. Had he been able to his own face, or noticed how his knuckles were white from his grip on his daggers, however, Yosuke would have understood...

* * *

"Nanako-chan!" Yosuke's calls cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. There they stood, the seven of them at the bottom of the staircase, and Tarou Namatame at the top...with _Nanako_.

"Y-Yosuke-nii!"

Nanako's pained cries cut through Yosuke. Growling, the brunet teen stepped forward. "Let her go!"

"N-no! I'm going to save this girl!"

"Save her?" Naoto's confused voice cut in, "you are Tarou Namatame, correct? Just what do you mean you'll 'save her'?"

"From death! I must save her!"

"W-where's Big Bro...? Big Bro, help me!"

Gritting his teeth, Yosuke turned a fierce-eyed glare on the scrawny man. Listening to Nanako's terrified cries was going straight through the teen. Especially hearing her cry out to the one person who was not there, the one who _should_ be there most of all, and who had died trying to make it: Souji.

"Fuck you, you'll 'save her'! Do you have any idea the hell we went through to get here?! Give her to me!" Yosuke was screaming by the end, knuckles white as he gripped his daggers.

"Yosuke-senpai, calm down! We need to figure out what he's talking about," Naoto reasoned.

Nodding, Yukiko moved to lay a calming hand on the teen's shoulder. "She's right, Yosuke-kun. Freaking out isn't going to rescue Nanako-chan."

Growling, Yosuke backed off reluctantly. He would let Naoto handle things for the moment. It was just...hearing Nanako crying out for Souji had broken something in side of him. Caused it to just _snap_. There was no way he was going to let this guy 'save' Nanako! He would rescue her. For Souji.

_For Souji_!

"No, I must save you little girl!"

"Save her by killing her? How the hell is that helping her?!" demanded Kanji, slinging his folding chair about to make a point.

"Give Nanako-chan back to us!" Chie cried, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

As he looked about, Yosuke noted that everyone was ready to fight. This was good, of course, because he was more than ready to do anything to get Nanako back.

Get her back _now_.

They did not exactly have time to make a plan, so Yosuke decided to improvise. He could only hope the others would catch on.

"Come, Susano-O!" Yosuke's sudden cry cut through the shouting.

"What the hell, Senpai?!"

Ignoring Kanji, Yosuke focused the persona on blasting Namatame, who staggered back from the blast, releasing Nanako as he did so.

"Did you even think that you might hit Nanako?!"

Ignoring Chie's shouts, Yosuke sprinted forward, silently _daring_ Namatame to challenge him.

"Yosuke-nii!"

Snatching the little girl up, Yosuke whirled on Namatame, his face a mask of cold, hard fury.

"You're _not_ having her!" he hissed, clutching Nanako tightly to his chest.

"Yosuke-senpai, come back, we'll cover you!"

Good, at least Naoto was not wasting time lecturing him. He was able to retreat safely under cover by Naoto's gunfire. Once he rejoined the group, Yosuke passed Nanako off to a concerned Teddie.

"Take care of her, Ted," he ordered, "Chie, Naoto, Yukiko...we're gonna clean this up."

Exchanging concerned glances, the three girls followed Yosuke forward as Kanji and Teddie fell in to protect Rise and Nanako.

"Namatame, get down here!"

"No, no, no! I cannot! I must save her!" With a loud howl, _something_ appeared to happen to Namatame. Suddenly he was no longer a man, but a giant..._something_.

"Looks like we are going to have to fight..."

Ignoring Naoto, Yosuke almost grinned in anticipation. However indirect, this...this _man_ was responsible for Souji's death...

They were going to stop him.


End file.
